Hinge



1957 N. A. WEISGARBER HINGE Filed NOV. 26, 1951 INVENTOR.

NORMA/V WE/SG'ARBER ATTORNEY United States Patent HINGE Norman A. Weisgarber, Middle River, Md.

Application November 26, 1951, Serial No. 258,271 4 Claims. (11. 16-179) (Granted under Title 35, U. S. Code (1952), sec. 266) The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or for the Government, for governmental purposes, without the payment to me of any royalty thereon.

The invention relates generally to hinge-s and particularly to an improvement in those which are used with hermetically sealed closures.

It is an object of this invention to provide a hinge for a closure of such a nature that the closure will not damage the sealing gasket around the periphery of the opening when the closure is pivoted about the hinge in the step of opening or closing the closure. This feature is of paramount importance for a serious shortcoming in existing hinges is that they allow the leading edge of the closure to dig into, distort, and thereby damage the sealing gasket when the closure is swung open or shut.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a hinge which eliminates damage to the gasket and which is particularly adapted to be used Where banks of closely spaced closures are employed. This advantage is obtained by employing an offset hinge having means for shifting the axis of the closures pivotal movement when the closure approaches the closure frame thereby causing the final portion of the closures closing movement to approach being approximately perpendicular to the frame. This permits the closure to contact the entire gasket simultaneously under uniform pressure thereby avoiding any distorting force which might damage the gasket.

It is a still further object of my invention to provide a hinge which is adjustable to effect the proper initial assembly of the parts and the subsequent compensation for wear of the parts. 7

With the foregoing and other objects that may appear, the invention consists in the details of construction, and in the arrangement and combination of parts which will be fully described in the specification and illustrated by way 'of example in the drawings wherein like reference numerals refer to like parts, and wherein:

Fig. l is a front elevation of the hinge secured to a door and a door frame.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken on line 2--2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 showing the parts in a different position.

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken on line 4--4 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 3 which illustrates the line of movement of the leading edge of a closure equipped with a conventional offset hinge compared with the line of movement of the leading edge of a closure equipped with the improved hinge.

In the drawings, indicates a frame for a closure such as a door or hatch and particularly one which must hermetically seal the frame when it is closed. The door or hatch 12 is swingably connected to the frame 10 by one or more of my improved hinges. The hinge generally comprises a bracket 14 of U-shape (see Fig. 4) which is secured to frame 10 by welding 16 or its equivalent, and a hinge leaf 18 which is secured to door 12 by threaded members 20 which pass through openings 22 ice ' in the mounting portion 46 of hinge leaf 18 and into threaded openings 24 in the door 12. Bracket 14 may be integrally formed or built up as shown in the drawings by ears 26 and cross member 28 (see Fig. 4). Figs. 2 and 3 show a portion of the opening 30 in the frame 10 which is to be closed by door 12 and a portion of the resilient sealing gasket 32 which extends around the periphery of opening 30. The precise configuration of the opening 30 and the door 12 is not shown in the drawings because it is not critical and my hinge may be used for closures of any shape.

Ears 26 of bracket 14 removably support pintle 34 which is spaced from the frame 10 and disposed in a plane which is parallel to the frame (see Fig. 4). When mounted, pintle 34 passes through openings 27 in ears 26 with its headed end 35 abutting one ear 26 and its apertured end 39 passing through the other ear 26 and receiving pin 37 which secures it in position. Crossmember 28 'of bracket 14 has a threaded bore 36 formed therein which receives threaded camming pin 38. Camming pin 38 has a head 40 formed thereon which constitutes an adjusting means for changing the position of pin 38. Pin 38 can be locked in adjusted position by lock nut 42.

Hinge leaf 18 comprises an enlarged cam portion 44 and a flat mounting portion 46. ,Cam portion 44 has an elongated slot 48 formed therein which is adapted to slidably receive pintle 34 when the hinge is assembled. Camming surface 50 of the cam portion 44 constitutes a cam surface which is adapted to contact the end of camming pin 38 when hinge leaf 18 is mounted on the pintle 34. Camming portion 50 comprises an arcuate portion 51 and an inclined portion 53. The relationship between camming surface 50 and camming pin 38 constitutes a salient feature of my invention and will be more fully explained subsequently.

Guide pin 52 is secured to frame 10 and is positioned between and extends parallel to ears 26 of bracket 14. Stud 54 having a head 56 and a bore 58 extending partially therethrough is slidably mounted on guide pin 52 with the guide pin slidably received in the bore 58 (see Fig. 2). Compression spring 60 is positioned between head 56 and frame 10 and constantly urges stud 54 away from the frame.

When the hinge is fully assembled as illustrated in Figs. 2, 3, and 4, the following relationship obtains: the stud 54 is urged away from frame 10 and against the side of cam portion 44 which is opposite to camming surface 50 thereby urging the cam portion 44 away from the frame 10 and against the camming pin 38. In the step of swinging the leaf hinge 18 about the bracket 14, movement of the leaf hinge is controlled by two main factors. Firstly, the pintle 34 limits movement of the leaf hinge to either a pivoting or sliding motion within the limits permitted by slot 48. Secondly, the stud 54 constantly presses the cam portion 44 against camming pin 38 thereby causing the camming surface 50 to control to some extent the movement of the leaf hinge. The composite effect of these two factors in a leaf hinge designed as illustrated produces a resultant swinging movement which eliminates one of the major shortcomings in prior hinges. This is illustrated in Fig. 5 by way of example wherein the movement of the leading edge of a closure equipped with a conventional pivoted offset hinge is compared to the movement of the leading edge of a closure equipped with my improved hinge. In a conventional offset hinge, the offset portion would be pivoted about pintle 34 and there would not be a slot 48, a camming pin 38, a spring pressed stud 54, nor would the offset portion have a specifically designed camming surface 50. The entire leaf hinge would pivot about pintle 34 and the leading edge 62 would describe an arc X P Z (as shown in Fig. '5). During the last portion of the arc, the leading "edge 62 "would haveatendency to dig into the gasket and damage it. This is so because the leading edge 62 approaches the gasket 32 on a line which intersects the plane'of' the gasket at an acute angle.

The'ideal condition which would eliminateall distortion of the gasket would be for the leading edge 62 to approaclrthe gasket 32 on a line which is perpendicular to the plane of the gasket. In Fig. 5, there is shown in a slightly exaggerated manner how the leading edge 62 of a closure equipped with my improved hinge will approach the gasket 32 on a more nearly perpendicular line X P Y. As may be observed in Fig. 5, the first portion of the closing line X 'P is identical for the conventional hinge and my improved hinge; during this portion of the line in the case of my improved hinge, the arcuate portion 51 of camming surface 50 is incontact with the camming pin 33. When the leading edge .62 reaches point P, camming pin 38 begins to contact the inclined portion 53 of camming surface 50and the swinging axis of the entire leaf hinge is moved from a point .near pin 34 to a point nearer pin 38. This causes a flattening of the are P Y relative to are P Z of the conventional hinge. The flattened portion P Y of the closing line X P Y approaches gasket 32 in more nearly a perpendicular manner and thereby does not dig into the gasket and damage it. It should be observed that damage to the gasketis also prevented When the closure is swungopen. Whenopened, the seal is abruptly broken and the edge 62 urged away from the gasket on line Y P. This has the effect of moving the entire closure away from the frame simultaneously and thereby eliminating any distortion of the gasket.

I have illustrated oneparticular configuration of a leaf hinge cam portion which is operative. I do not thereby intend to limit myself to the precise configuration illustrated for the following elements can be varied without departing from the spirit and scope ,of my invention; the position of the slot 48; thecurvature of arcuate portion 51; the inclination of inclined portion 53, and the position of camming pin 38.

Another advantage of my hinge .over the ,prior art is the feature of adjustability which camming pin 38 atfords. As is apparent from Fig. 2, the position of camming pin 38 controls the amount of pressure exerted by door 12 on gasket 32. Therefore,.by varying the position of the camming pin.38, the door 12 can be urged more or less strongly toward the frame 10. This feature makes possible the'initial proper. assembly of the doorvon the frame,,and the subsequent adjustment to compensate for wear of theparts.

While a preferred example of thepresent invention has been described in detail, it.is.not intended to limit the invention thereto, for it is intended to includeall modifications and embodiments twhich.fall within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A hinge for use on an enclosure having .a frame surrounding an opening and a doorswingably mounted on said frame so as to close said opening and having a contact surface surrounding said opening and contacting said frame, said hinge "comprising a pintle mounted on said frame and a hinge'leaf secured to said door, said pintle being offset outwardly from the plane of said opening, said leaf comprising a cam portion, a slot in said cam portion embracing said pintle, said slot being elongated in a direction substantially perpendicular to the plane of said contact surface, said cam portion having a peripheral camsurface, a cammingmembertmounted on said frame and contacting said cam surface, said cam surface and camming member being-so related thatas said door is closed and approaches its closed position said cam surface slides over said camming member and forces saiddeat inwardly toward .saidtframenand resilientmeans acting on said cam portion in such a manner as to urge said cam surface against said camming member.

2. A hinge for use on an enclosure having a frame surrounding an opening and a door swingablymounted on said frame so as to close said opening, said door having a contact surface surrounding said opening and contacting said frame when the door is closed, said'hinge comprising a substantially U-shapedbracket mounted on said frame, said bracket comprising two spacedears rigidly joined at their ends to said frame and a cross member joining said ears and spaced outwardly from said frame, a pintle joining said ears intermediate said frame and said cross member, a camming member carried by said cross member and extending inwardly therefrom, and a hinge leaf secured to said door, said leaf comprising an elongated slot embracing said pintle and a cam portion surrounding said slot, .said cam portion comprising a peripheral cam surface adapted to.c0ntact said camming member, resilient means mounted on said frame and so positioned as to hold said camming surface against said camming member, said cam surface being so shaped that as said door approaches its closed position, said slotted cam portion is slid inwardly over-said pintle.

3. A hinge as defined in claim 2, wherein said cam surface comprises a leading arcuate portion concentric about a point within said slot and a trailing portion'tangential to said arcuateportion, whereby as said door is closed said arcuateportion will first contactsaid camming member, causing said door to swing about said pintle as an ads and assaid door approaches its closed position, said tangential portion will contact said camming member, thereby sliding said cam portion inwardly over said pintle.

4. A hinge as defined in claim 3, wherein said camming member comprises a pin extending-inwardly from said cross member and adjustable relative thereto.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

